Shah Rukh Khan detention case: Don't give it a racial slant

Too much should not be read into Shah Rukh Khan's detention at an American municipal airport on Friday. You can accuse the US officials of highhandedness and, indeed, pig-headedness. But there does not seem to be any issue relating to racial profiling since it is also known that well known white American personalities like the late senator Edward Kennedy and vice-president Al Gore have been subjected to similar treatment.

The response of the Ministry of External Affairs is clearly over the top. It summoned the Charge De Affairs and expressed its "concern" over the incident, the minister and minister of state issued statements deploring the incident and it was reported that the Indian ambassador to the US has been asked to take up the issue at the highest levels.

Mr Khan is a well-known actor, indeed a star, but there was no breach of diplomatic propriety in delaying his clearance by two hours or so. As a country and as a people we need to take such things on the chin and not see slights where none may exist.